The BIQ [Bio Intelligence Quotient] house will become the world’s first pilot project to showcase a bioreactive façade […] With 200m² of integrated photo-bioreactors, this passive-energy house generates biomass and heat as renewable energy resources. At the same time, the system integrates additional functionality such as dynamic shading, thermal insulation and noise abatement, highlighting the full potential of this technology.

The microalgae used in the façades are cultivated in flat panel glass bioreactors measuring 2.5m x 0.7m. In total, 129 bioreactors have been installed on the south west and south east faces of the four-storey residential building. The heart of the system is the fully automated energy management centre where solar thermal heat and algae are harvested in a closed loop to be stored and used to generate hot water. […]

“Using bio-chemical processes in the façade of a building to create shade and energy is a really innovative concept. It might well become a sustainable solution for energy production in urban areas, so it is great to see it being tested in a real-life scenario.” — Jan Wurm, Arup’s Europe Research Leader

The system will be officially presented to the media on 25 April 2013 when the biofaçade system goes into operation for the first time.

Article source: The Morning Sentinel.

“Every day in rural Penobscot County, a large dairy farm harnesses clean-burning gas from cow manure and food waste, and it generates enough electricity to power 800 homes continuously. The process, commonly known as cow power, has the potential to earn the facility $800,000 a year. It also creates byproducts — animal bedding and a less-odorous fertilizer — that save the farm about $100,000 a year. Cow power is more consistent than solar and wind energy, and it eliminates greenhouses gases that otherwise would enter the atmosphere. The $5.5 million project could pay for itself in five years.”

Unilever and biotechnology company Paques have started the construction of a bio-digester at the food giant’s Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory in Hellendoorn, the Netherlands. Paques’ BIOPAQ AFR bio-digester, which will convert waste products from the production of ice cream into clean energy, will cover 40 per cent of the ice cream factory’s green energy requirements.

According to Paques, this bio-digester has been built specifically for applications where the purification of fat-containing wastewater is required. Unlike conventional systems, the bio-digester treats wastewater containing fat and oil in a single compact reactor, together with degradable particles. The installation of the bio-digester is a part of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, which aims at reducing the production of waste and the consumption of water and energy. The bio-digester is expected to become operational mid year.